You Learn
by kktea
Summary: Story on hiatus.
1. Remembering

"It's been 2,000 years, Godric."

"I'm sorry, I'm not understanding your point."

"Why do you continue to act as if you're doing nothing wrong?"

"Because I'm doing nothing wrong."

"You. Are. So. Fucking. Stubborn."

Katya's aggravation showed through her voice, clearly annoyed, a tone Godric had gotten used to over the past few decades. He knew she wasn't happy, but excuse him if he wasn't very keen on the idea of a complete lifestyle makeover and attitude adjustment.

"What happens if one day, all humans and vampires _do_ co-exist? What happens then?" Katya questioned, one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows rising, arms crossing swiftly across her chest.

Before answering, Godric scoffed. "Please, Katya. Spare me your ridiculous theories about how everyone will learn to get along peacefully and play nice. Just because _you_ manage to do so, doesn't mean the rest of us can, or even want to."

"It's obviously not impossible, Godric," Katya continued, ignoring the other's request. "We all _were_ once human. We're not that different."

"You know what I find odd?" Godric asked mockingly, abruptly changing the subject as he began to pace around the large, spacious room. His hands slipped into the pockets of his white slacks, his threatening eyes immediately finding Katya's. "That I'm _your_ maker… yet here you are, trying to tell _me_ what I should be doing and how I should be thinking."

The warning look Godric shot her was enough to break the intense staring match, and Katya lowered her attention to the ground. She realized how foolish she was, trying to teach her maker what the moral thing to do was, and regardless of how true her words might have been, she wet her lips and sighed softly to herself, keeping quiet. The silence in the room allowed her some time with her own thoughts, which she needed to recollect after the situation the two had just found themselves in. Thankfully, Godric allowed his progeny to do so, declaring himself the winner of the argument by exiting the room, a pleased expression on his face.

Her head still tilted down, Katya's hazel orbs followed the small figure of the male as he disappeared through the doorway, raising her gaze when she was sure he was out of the room. Katya made her way over to the plush sofa located in the center of the room, plopping down onto the cushion and letting her head hang over the backside of the couch unsupported. Staring up at the patterns on the ceiling, a small and involuntary pout pushed her lips out and another sigh followed, the breath exhaling through her nose this time instead of her tightly closed mouth.

Godric was right, of course, Katya _shouldn't _be speaking to her maker in such a way… but she found it so unbelievably difficult to comprehend that he was still living like such a savage. Killing and torturing humans for fun, going out of his way to harm innocent breathers, and attempting to make them his servants had become daily routines for Godric. Maybe all of that had been somewhat acceptable for vampires in the past, but they were now part of a civilized, modern day world. It was the 1900's, not the 10th century. Drinking from those alive was fine, of course, for how else were they supposed to survive? But unnecessary slaughtering sprees and making a game out of murder should have been out of the question. That barbaric behavior was becoming intolerant and Katya was ashamed her maker and his other progeny, Eric, were still participating in such gruesome acts, showing no signs of remorse or stopping.

But what had made her most nervous about Godric's apparent hatred for those still alive was that she had claimed her own human, Anton, five years ago. Although Godric was well aware of Anton's presence, he never respectfully acknowledged it and always pretended the other wasn't there, choosing to ignore him by walking out of the room if Anton had spoken to him. It was all becoming very childish, really. And weirdly enough, come to think of it, Katya didn't remember Godric speaking so frequently ill of the humans _until_ she had met Anton. Sure, one knew somebody not of vampire descent was on Godric's shit list, but after Katya had met her human, all seemed to just go further downhill with his harsh verbal insults and increased rage towards breathers. Introducing the two of them was something she had avoided for a long time, but she knew if she attempted to keep her lover a secret forever, when Godric _did_ find out, which he would have… well, she didn't want to even consider what could have possibly happened.

* * *

><p>Godric headed straight for his bedroom as soon as he'd left Katya unaccompanied. Bringing his fingers to the buttons of his shirt, he began loosening them, one by one- the idea of a bath not sounding too bad right about now. He needed to calm down, to relax. Even though he had been naturally cold bodied for the past 2000 years, and although it was just a figure of speech, the things Katya said and did sometimes made his "blood boil." He actually had himself convinced once or twice that he was heating up with anger, all because of simple remarks his progeny would make. But not once did he ever regret turning her.<p>

He had met Katya in Russia, almost 200 years before. Eric had already been by his side for many decenniums, a result of 1000 years of loneliness… but a turning he also did not regret. After Eric, Godric had never planned on making himself another progeny and even upon meeting Katya the first few times, the idea never even crossed his mind. In fact, it wasn't even until months after their extremely unlikely friendship that he was introduced to her knowledge of what he indeed was. Sliding into the newly made bath, Godric rested his head on the side of the tub, enjoying the feeling of the water pooling around him as his mind jumped back to the long ago era.

**(Year 1720)**

_Katya had cornered him in the narrow alley, her eyebrows lifting as she took small steps closer to the man that stood across from her. Godric remained calm, feeling his back press against the wall, although he had no idea what was bringing upon this sudden change of actions; they had just been walking, the mood light and fun, Katya expressing to him how she wished she could move far away from her home in Ardatov. He was much too familiar with this conversation and recollected the only reason she enjoyed the small town was because it was bordered by the Alatyr River and she spent many cold nights in the winters by the frozen up body of water. Alone. How she liked it._

_"I know what you are," her voice rang out, soft and quiet yet confident and teasing. Godric always liked listening to her talk. Her words came out so melodious all the time, no matter what she was speaking about. Hearing her voice was one of the reasons Godric had paused his impending attack on her the first night they met- she had been so forward and eager to assist him, assuming he had just gotten lost. Godric had thought that sort of kind humanity had not existed until that point._

"_I don't know what you mean," he said, keeping his usual cool, calm, collected tone. Although a brief thought of her having found out his true existence caused a small panic in his mind (the outcome of what he'd have to do to her if she truly did know what he was wasn't something he wanted to think about), he didn't stress and instead put on a look of interest, eyebrows furrowing at her._

_A tiny grin curved her full, red lips and she continued her approach until she was directly in front of him. She was grateful he was only 1 or 2 inches taller than her, so the effect of her incoming accusations and somewhat false bravado would play off nicely to her part, not having to worry about him threateningly towering over her. She brought her hand to the corner of his lips, used to the cold feeling of his smooth skin. Katya remembered his excuse for why he never seemed to get warm: that he was from the north, where it was never hot, and his body just grew accustomed to his years of traveling in nothing but rain and snow. She knew, of course, from the moment he'd mustered up that explanation that he'd been lying but she had to give him credit because it did make sense so she allowed his story to play on for the time being. Until tonight._

"_You're not like me," she continued. She pried his lips open slowly, until they were only just parted, then brought the tip of her finger to his right canine. After tapping on it playfully, she went to drop her hand to her side, tilting her head. "Those aren't like mine."_

_Before her hand had dropped completely to level with her thighs, Godric caught her wrist with his fingers in a very tight grasp, raising her slender arm back towards his face with ease. He enjoyed the feeling of her skin upon his too much to let it fade away now… and the alluring smell that came from the blood that was pumping through her human body turned his former fake interest into real interest. A gasp sounded from her lips at the quick movement, and her eyes stayed planted on the steely blue-green gaze she had been holding for the past few moments, not really even wanting to drop her attention. He finally broke the intense stare to glance at her wrist, his eyes thoroughly picking up on the fact that her heart race was steadily increasing- he could see it pulsating in her vein, he could hear the pounding of her cardiac organ, he could smell the fear growing._

_Godric returned his orbs back to the beautiful, shaken-up girl whose confidence and self-assurance in this matter was slowly diminishing, and it was his turn to raise his eyebrows high into his forehead. His voice was steady but much huskier than it's usual pitch, words coming out in a clear sentence. "And what do you think that makes me?"_

"_You're a… vampire."_

* * *

><p>Hi, I'm Cat. Nice to meet you, hope you like my story. R&amp;R's always welcome and I'm even criticism-friendly. This story is just something I've had on my mind for a while and figured it was time to get it out, what with Godric returning somehow for this season of True Blood and all. c: This will be a slow process because I'm always getting writer's block, but maybe it'll be worth it. <em>xx<em>


	2. First Impressions

_Before Katya even had the words out, Godric was already silently weighing out his options, knowing already at that moment what she was going to say. One would hurt him… but both would end up killing her, whether it be literally or figuratively. The realization that he would have no choice either way but to end her human life hit him hard. He never wanted to be approached with this ultimatum, although he knew it would always be a possibility. In an era such at this, 95% of humans had no knowledge of vampires even existing, so attempting to live your life normally as one but keeping it secret with a human as a companion was a pretty big leap. Completely draining breathers had never previously been a problem for Godric, but Katya had been different from the start. Actually, their entire unusual friendship had been different from the start._

* * *

><p><strong>(4 months earlier)<strong>

Godric was sure other vampires had begun finding humans they liked enough to spare and keep as pets, but the idea of doing so himself had never crossed his mind before. To be honest, since he was thinking about it now, the thought actually disgusted him. Humans were nothing but bags full of blood to him and he never dreamed of becoming even remotely attached to one of them. But something was going to change that night, regardless of if he liked it or not.

The smell had been what peaked his interest. It hung thick in the air and made his mouth water instantly, fangs clicking out seconds later. The aroma was vanilla and cinnamon, with an undertone of honey. The combination was overwhelming and Godric wanted more. A deep, involuntary growl sounded from behind his parted lips as he somewhat subconsciously began following the smell, surprised when it led him to a long river. It was almost pitch-black outside but the large, bright moon reflecting off the water emitted an eerie glow along the waterline. Although, even if it had been completely lightless, Godric still would have had no trouble making out the figure sitting on the grass just inches from the wetness. That was thanks to the one vampire sense he used more than his heightened smell- his ability to see effortlessly in the darkness. He could make out that it was a young, attractive female, somewhere in her late teens, with a head full of black curls but that was as far as the description went. Along with the few physical attributes, he also knew that the delicious smell was coming from the blood that pumped through her full-of-life body.

His first instinct, his natural instinct, was to quickly sneak up behind her and drain her, knowing from her scent that this would be a dinner he'd want to slowly devour, enjoying every last drop. The anticipation was too much so he moved forward without thinking, something that was completely out of character. The one thing he didn't want was for her to notice him, to be aware of his presence before the attack- but, of course, because he had been entirely too impatient and wanted to play with his food as soon as possible, he didn't see the large pile of burned sticks and leaves directly beneath his feet (probably the remains of a previous sort of bonfire burning earlier in the day) and the loud cracking noise it made immediately caught the girls' attention. She jumped, gasping simultaneously, glaring over to where Godric was residing. The only thing he seemed to notice was how intense her stare was, how many emotions were flickering through them (fear, curiosity, worry, anger, interest, shock, fear again, curiosity again), how bright her hazel orbs were against the dark of the night, how the expression in them softened once she caught a glimpse of him. Her eyes. Hypnotizing, almost. So intriguing that Godric forgot to either conceal himself behind the tree to the side of him or take advantage of the moment and sink his teeth deep into her neck. Instead, he just stood there awkwardly, thoughts racing rapidly in his head. Why wasn't he drinking from her right now? That had been the plan, hadn't it? If not, why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he_ doing_ anything?

When she finally lowered her gaze to the ground and raised herself up, beginning to make her way over to where Godric stood, he fell out of the trance-like state he'd been in and remembered his fangs were still out and fully visible, so retracting them was the first thing he did. He couldn't understand why she was moving towards him with such ease, no fear residing in her anymore. Godric was sure she saw his fangs, sure she realized how abnormal they were. He also didn't understand why he still wasn't moving away from her… or towards her, to see if she tasted as good as she smelled. He actually found himself eager for her to approach him. He never acted this way when it came to a human and he was mentally beating himself up while also trying to figure out what he next move was.

But that didn't work out and his thought process was cut short. With each step closer she took, Godric couldn't help but scan the curvaceous figure coming towards him up and down, a small, barely noticeable smirk pulling the corner of his lip up, even at a time like this. He could tell instantly that she had a style all her own. Opposed to the very long, sophisticated, plain-colored gowns and wide-silhouette skirts the women wore in the current generation, this girl was dressed in a bright purple and pink pastel gown with a darker, formfitting skirt that reached just above her knees. Godric briefly thought about how inappropriate the other women in town must have thought this girl was to dress how she did and that resulted in him coming to the conclusion that she rebelled often- which just made his smirk grow. There was a pink bow that matched the color of her shirt tied in her hair and it contrasted nicely with her shockingly black hair. Her lips were full and painted red and her pink tongue darted out to wet them as she came to a halt in front of the slightly taller man (who looked more like a boy, really) across from her.

The closeness allowed Godric not only a better look at her appearance, but also brought the source of the wonderful smell just inches within his grasp. It would have been so easy to reach out and snap her neck, but he decided on having fun first. Fun he wasn't sure how to have. He hadn't communicated with a human in hundreds of years, not ever finding a need or want to… until this moment. If she freaked out and caused a scene, he would definitely act accordingly and true to his nature, but this didn't seem to be the case. Not sure how to break the silence and still battling inside himself why he was letting this interaction continue, Godric was secretly glad when she spoke.

"Are you lost?"

That's all. She wanted to know if he was _lost_. She had no questions about why he'd been watching her, sneaking around, lurking in the shadows. She also didn't ask about his fangs, which he was sure saw, but then again, it was dark and he was calmed by the idea that she might not have witnessed them. No, she was only interested in if he knew where he was going. He knew she was being sincere just by the obvious inquiringness ringing in her words, a total lack of sarcasm. Her voice was soft but full of wonder, seeming incredibly interested in nothing other than Godric and if he needed help finding his way.

Her honesty and approachableness made his smirk falter and his eyebrows furrowed, caught off guard by her reaction. He had expected her to scream and yell and accuse him, thus resulting in him draining her dry, but she hadn't and he never thought of what he'd do if she acted otherwise. Having been lost in his own thoughts, which Godric seemed to be doing a lot tonight, he failed to answer her simple question. He assumed she took this as him being nervous around her or too frightened by her to respond, which was most definitely not the case, because she tentatively took another step closer and seemed careful with her next choice of words.

"Because I've never seen you around here… and I'm from here… born and raised… and it's a relatively small town… so I think I know everyone… unless you just moved here… in that case, welcome…" she trailed off, catching on that she was rambling.

Godric had noticed that, too. But he enjoyed hearing her talk and found himself a little disappointed when all his ears heard again was silence. Regaining his composure, for those feelings weren't like him, he licked his lips and watched as her eyes dropped to his mouth as he did so. He was extra careful to hold his fangs in but it was getting agonizingly unbearable to do so, because every time he forget about the enchanting smell, the mouth-watering odor was back. Her continuously closing the gap between them twice didn't help either. Deciding it was his turn to talk, he put his practiced, expressionless face on, tilting his head downwards to her.

"Yes, that's exactly it. I'm planning on taking up residency here, so I'm… observing all the sights," he said. He wasn't totally lying- he had been observing a sight. Her.

A large smile spread across her face and Godric had to admit inwardly that it made her even more beautiful than any of the other facial appearances she'd displayed before, which he didn't think was possible at the time. Only moments before, when her eyes were full of fear, and even though he was much further away, he still had an irk that she was remarkably attractive… for a human.

"Oh! How exciting. I've never met anyone new before. No one ever really comes here. I don't blame them, it's quite boring and the _people_… never mind, I don't want to waste your time here with me complaining. I'm sorry. I'm Katya, it's a pleasure," she spoke, her long, slender arm jutting out from the side of her body delicately, stretched out in the distance that was still between them.

There was that voice again. Warm, pleasant, inviting. And although it seemed like she talked a lot, Godric found himself involuntarily leaning his head further down towards her to listen better to every word she said, but when he caught himself, he straightened himself back up, inaudibly growling at himself for the way he was acting. He dropped his eyes down to the hand being offered to him and he took it swiftly in his own. He raised it, bringing it level to his mouth, before pressing his lips against the back of her palm, letting them linger to breathe in the scent that had brought him to Katya in the first place.

"Mmm, the pleasure's all mine," he said against her skin, meaning every word, then pulled away and stood at his full height once more. Dropping her arm, he watched as it fell back down to her side, then as she cradled it with her other hand as soon as she could. His attention rose back to her face, pleased to see the blush that had formed on her cheeks during the flirtatious greet. Godric was in control of the situation again, as he had been before she spotted him, when she was focused on the river. Recognizing this caused the familiar smirk to occupy his lips once more and he continued, voice more confident than before. "I'm Godric. Katya's a very pretty name. It suits you magnificently."

The blush didn't fall from her face at his further comments but she surprised him by not dropping her stare shyly to the ground. She kept adamant eye contact, the smile amplifying. Godric appreciated her lack of shame and found himself glad he'd said what he'd said, because her face looked incredibly adorable in red.

"Thank you. Godric is… um, well… an old name. And you don't look any older than I am, so I guess yours doesn't suit you as magnificently."

He laughed at the irony in her statement, unbeknownst to her, but the fact that he was well into his 1000s passed briefly through his mind. Shaking his head, he shot her a small grin, winking right after. "You'd be surprised."

She stayed silent after he spoke that time, but the quiet wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. In fact, the two of them looked as if they were enjoying it. Katya spent the time studying and memorizing Godric's flawless, impeccable features (and her smile seemed to enhance more as he began to laugh) while Godric spent the time pondering the bizarre position he found himself in. Only an hour before, he would have scoffed if someone told him he would shortly be _enjoying_ the company of a human. Especially _this_ human. Set aside that she was youthful and gorgeous, and anyone would love to spend time with someone who was youthful and gorgeous, but she smelled exquisite and it took a strong vampire to be able to contain himself. There was just something about her and he couldn't deny it any longer- she was different. She accepted him, wanted to converse with him. Sure, she didn't know what he truly was, and he knew she'd treat him different had she known, but any time he'd been in close contact with another breather, he'd experienced nothing but anger or violence or rudeness. Of course, he himself was from a barbaric time and violence was a part of his lifestyle, but this generous gratitude and positive attention he was getting from Katya was refreshing. Figuring it was time to speak once more, he scanned their surroundings, a curious tone in his voice.

"May I ask what you're doing at a river, all alone, at this time of night? Surely you know that it can't be safe. Who knows what's hiding in the dark?" The irony arose once more inside of him.

Her normal color had returned to her face a while ago and she shrugged her shoulders up and down shortly, her light orbs following Godric's towards the water. "I come here a lot. I like it here. I like the silence and the night."

She then narrowed her eyes playfully, turning her attention back to him. The notion made Godric's grin return and he rose his eyebrows in interest in what the girl was going to go on about now.

"And I can take perfectly good care of myself, thank you very much."

"Ah, I'm sure you can, love," he stated simply.

The wind chose the perfect moment to pick up and Godric averted his sight once more to watch its process- starting first in the trees, then causing the water the ripple… then lifting up Katya's hair and brushing it to the side, which made the entire riverbank fill with the smell of vanilla, cinnamon and honey he'd followed here. The overwhelming combination. It was as if nature was testing his patience, his strength and his growing hunger. At that point, Godric realized he hadn't fed at all that night and he knew he'd have to unfortunately put a stop to their chat for the rest of the evening to go hunt.

"But it is extremely late, I'm exhausted, and I feel fully satisfied in my observance of the town since I've met you. I think it's time for us to say our goodbyes. I wouldn't mind continuing this conversation tomorrow night, though?" he said, his last sentence ending as a question although the demanding tone in his voice made it sound like more of a command.

He couldn't just end their interactions here forever and have this be the last night he ever saw her. She was something he wanted more of, something he _needed _more of. Kindness, hospitality, eagerness, interest, beaut_y._ Life. He wasn't sure where him pursuing this would take them but Godric had never felt this feeing in his entire time on earth. Being selfish and stubborn, he wasn't about to let it go and he always did get what he wanted… he had just hoped she willingly wanted this as well. A sort of friendship. He was immensely pleased with her answer.

"Of course. Tomorrow night? Here? I'm here all the time. I should probably get going anyway. Mother must be worried," she said, eyes flickering just above Godric's shoulder, scoping out her house which she could see perfectly from here on the shoreline.

He could sense she didn't really care what her mother felt but wanted an excuse as well, wanting him to think she had a purpose elsewhere, not that she was just obediently hanging on his every word. But she was obediently waiting for Godric to agree with her, to get the reassurance of where they'd meet the following night.

He was still in control and he was still very pleased.

"Here. Goodnight, Katya."

He bowed his head shortly and she shot him another dazzling smile, then was gone. He heard her rustling through the leaves and between trees, trying to get home, until she was out of earshot. Godric finally distended his fangs and exhaled slowly out loud, glad he didn't have to hide his intense lust for the blood and the source of the blood that had just left his side. Her scent lingered in the air even though she'd left several minutes before and Godric basked in every moment of it. Then, in the blink of an eye, he ran back into town to find a less appetizing meal, Katya not once leaving his mind.

What a beginning to such an odd friendship.

* * *

><p>Again, I'm sorry but this story will move slowly and chapters will get significantly longer as time goes on and as the plot starts to fully develop. Also, I kind of get really Inception-y in this chapter because it's like a flashback inside of a flashback (or memory inside of a memory, really) but I hope I wrote it well enough so that it's easy to understand. If not, let me know! The circa 1900 Katya and Godric will return soon. Btw, reviewing will help me write faster, xoxo.<p>

**kingdomfantasyanime453-** Thank you for reviewing. :) I always liked how the show portrayed Godric during the time he turned Eric and shortly after, before he went all soft on us. So that's what I'm trying to portray here.

**ShiloCoulter-** I'll try!

**Xtyne-** Let me just start off by saying that I love your stories, especially your Ellie Cole/Eric Northman series. I started reading them earlier this month and finished all of them within a few days because I couldn't look away. So I'm honored you like this. But I completely agree! Not to knock anyone, but a lot of people just totally fail when it comes to writing Godric and Godric-related stories. And this idea's been in my head for a while and I'm not exactly sure how to express the plot chapter by chapter, but I hope I'm doing a good job. Thank you for reading and reviewing. :)


	3. Choice

**(4 months later)**

Katya watched as Godric's eyes began to widen at her accusation and she wasn't surprised at his reaction. If she was in the same position he was in right now, she'd probably act the same way. Having a secret you've tried to keep from someone for months be randomly (and bluntly, at that) brought up and catching you off guard must give you a whirlwind of emotions. Katya didn't know for sure whether or not he'd had an idea that she knew all along but something in his newly acquired behavior told her it had passed his mind. She hadn't actually thought about what she'd do after she announced her knowledge on the subject but she definitely knew she regretted saying anything now by the look on his face. This was going to change everything.

She realized just how right she was when Godric quickly changed their positions, faster than she could comprehend what was happening, pushing Katya roughly against the brick wall his back had been previously occupying. His hands then went up to pin both of her arms high above her head, making sure she would stay in place. He'd never acted this way before with her, he was always very gentle and delicate. But the thoughts popping up into his head right now were anything but gentle and delicate. He knew what he was going to have to do, the decision was set in place, and no matter how much he wished he didn't have to- it was the only option.

"W-what are you going to do?" Katya questioned after a pause, her voice quivering. It had taken her a few moments to gather herself back up from the harsh impact of the hard surface now behind her, not having expected that. "I don't want to die."

"Shut up," Godric snapped, bringing one of his hands down to cover her mouth, now using only the fingers of his free hand to wrap around her struggling wrists. Their bodies were pushed together so closely that their light clothing was the only thing keeping her warmth away from his cold. He took notice in her escalating fear the minute it began to rise; he could feel the veins in her wrist beginning to pump the blood harder (whether that was actually due to her feelings or just because Godric had such a tight hold on them and was cutting off circulation, he didn't know- either way, he knew she was terrified). The scent of her sweet life source was strengthening with her terror and him being this close to her only helped in his part. Being able to finally taste her was going to be the only benefit to the inevitable ultimatum. With a dip of his head, he buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. "My God, Katya, you smell even better when you're scared."

Katya whimpered against his hand, the sound coming out muffled because of the obstruction in front of her mouth. She felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes and she blinked multiple times, trying to hold them back. Although she didn't think she'd ever been more afraid than she was in this moment, she knew she was strong and didn't want her weaknesses to show, even though she had a hunch Godric could sense certain emotions regardless of how good she thought she was at hiding them. A single tear escaped and rolled slowly down her cheek, stopping only when it collided with Godric's fingers.

The feeling of the wetness brought his attention to the fact that she was crying (though she was trying her hardest not to) and he moved to wipe the remnants off the side of her face, his head rising in the process. Godric trailed his fingertips down her cheek, across her jaw line, then grasped her chin when he reached it, pulling her head forward to face him, forcing her to make the eye contact she was trying hard to avoid. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first night we met," she started, answering automatically after Godric's question ended. She thought that maybe by talking to him and giving a thorough explanation on everything, that it would make things better. "When I was by the river and I saw you standing in the forest. I saw your teeth… or whatever they are. My grandfather used to tell me and my sisters stories about the strigoi. He always told us they didn't exist, that they were just myths made up to scare people, but I was always curious. I would look for books on them. Then I saw you and I knew that they'd all been true- all the tales."

Ah, so she _had_ seen his fangs. He'd known it all along, but he didn't know why she waited until months later to bring them up. And what was she trying to accomplish by telling him now, by bringing up his true nature this abruptly? And, more importantly, if Katya had the suspicion that he was a vampire throughout their entire friendship, why wasn't she afraid of him? Why did she seem so comfortable, so at ease around him? Maybe she didn't know what he was capable of doing. No, that couldn't be it, especially if she was honest about researching them. She knew the whole time what he was capable of doing, what he could have done to her at any given time these past several months. But why did she stick around? The things Katya did, and just her in general, had made him question himself and question the choices humans made more times than anyone he'd ever known, and they'd only been acquainted for four months.

Godric sighed almost inaudibly, it coming out as more of just a quiet, deep exhaled breath. He dropped his head again, letting his cheek rest on her shoulder as he placed his lips to her pulsating jugular vein. He felt his fangs throb, wanting to come out, wanting to get revenge on their owner for causing them to wait this long to drink possibly the best tasting drink he'd ever come across. Yet still, he stalled.

He brought the hand that had helped caress the tears off her skin to her hip, letting his fingers trace circles on the bone he felt through the fabric of her skirt. Godric's mouth was busy placing small but feverish, hungry kisses along the warm flesh of her neck and was nothing short of surprised when he heard her try to stifle a moan by clenching her teeth together.

"You're at the hands of Death himself and yet you're still enjoying this," he mumbled against her skin, not bothering to catch her gaze, too lost in the delicious smells that were protruding from her body. And the delicious sound she'd just made, no matter how unwilling it might have been.

Katya inwardly cursed herself for the feelings that were raging inside of her. What was she _doing_? She was going to die. This man she'd grown to care for, shared her secrets with… he was going to kill her, there was no doubt about it. Still, something cause her to lean into his touch and move her head to the side to allow him better access to what she should have been protecting the most right now. Katya was beside herself, in complete awe with her actions. She was also in slight shock of Godric's actions as well. This entire situation was her fault, though. She didn't have to tell him she knew what he was since the moment she laid eyes on him. She could have kept it to herself, locked it away in her mind. She doubted he would have ever brought it up because she assumed he would have done it already, not wait until they'd developed a bond with each other. That was what upset Katya the most. Part of her thought that, since they had gotten so close, even if she did bring up his true vampire nature, that nothing bad or negative would come of it. But she was very wrong and very foolish to think such a thing. Obviously, no one was supposed to know that vampires really did exist. If it wasn't such a big deal, they'd be walking freely among the humans, no questions asked. So now that he knew that _she_ knew, he couldn't have the chance of her spreading the truth around, even if she would never do such a thing.

While Katya was mentally abusing herself for being so stupid, Godric had also been pondering in his own mind. He did have another choice, didn't he? He didn't have to completely drain her and leave her for the true death, right? He could do as he did with Eric and turn her. He had found himself becoming more and more attached to her as the days went on, even though he tried to prevent that from happening, and the thought of being without her made him feel somehow… incomplete, like he'd be missing something for the rest of his eternal life. She had brought a humanity into his life that he was never fully a part of before. The humanity of a civilized world, of civilized humans. _Humans_. The word still made Godric sick and the idea that he was so close to one made him sick, too. But he couldn't help it. Set aside being allowed the privilege to consume her cinnamon, vanilla and honey scented blood, the other benefit of making her one of his kind was that she would no longer be considered what he despised the most: alive. Also, maybe a companionship him and Eric did not share- a more physical, emotional companionship. Yes, he loved Eric more than anything and they shared the mutual love of violence and the mentality that they were better than breathers (because they _were_, in most aspects), but Katya brought out a different side of him, one he could very well get used to. Godric stilled his lips and movements with his fingers to begin verbally sharing the idea he was considering.

"I don't have to kill you."

Katya's eyes, which had been closed the second silence enveloped them, shot open. A look of hope filled them at Godric's words and she wet her lips, eyebrows furrowing in a notion which he took as her wanting him to continue speaking.

"I could turn you into what I am," he began, and seeing the look of hope immediately erase from her orbs caused him to continue his explanation quicker. "You will never truly die, unless you wish to meet it by sun or if someone unfortunately has the rude, unlikely audacity to stake you. You don't have to stay here in Ardatov any longer- I know how much you despise it here. I know how much you despise your family as well, the extreme lack of a relationship you hold with them. You rebel more than anyone this town has ever seen which I take as you being unhappy with your surroundings. You want more out of life and you and I both know you'll never find it here. I could give you everything. I could show you everything, everywhere. I could teach you all that I know. It could be wonderful."

… Wait, was she seriously considering this? Was she actually debating the pros and cons of her life here and the second chance at life Godric could give her? Then again, what choice did she really have? It seemed to her that the only two options were death, just in different forms, and she'd take being able to walk the world for centuries over dying due to some silly mistake in an alley any day. Besides, everything Godric was saying was true and she had never really realized it until this moment. For starters, Katya had hated it here since she was old enough to walk and talk. It was a small town, so gossip and rumors spread like wildfires and everyone was in everyone else's business. She enjoyed being alone and not getting involved in other people's issues, which was what people did for fun here, so escaping all of that forever sounded like a dream come true. Secondly, she thought of her family as nothing more than a joke. Her mother listened only to her alcoholic father, who enjoyed scolding his children more than he enjoyed being intoxicated, and that was saying something. Katya's sisters were all much older than she was and off living their own lives. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen any of them for almost three years now. And lastly, the one thing she wanted most was to explore the world. She knew that staying here would only continue to bring her down a road she didn't want to travel down, either having to work for her father's company or be forced to marry some local boy in order to continue his lineage.

Katya thought of one more good reason why being turned would be a good idea and perhaps this reason was enough in and of itself. Godric. Plain and simple, just Godric. He was the first new, interesting thing that had ever came into her life. For all of her 18 years, she'd been confined to the borders of Ardatov and the Alatyr River. If she ever dared to travel further into other towns and her father found out, her ears would never hear the end of it… and her body would be vulnerable to more than one beating. It didn't matter that Godric was the creature of the night her grandfather had warned her about many years ago (even if he thought they didn't exist), she had done nothing but spend every sunset with him and get to know everything about him. He had a lot of rough patches and a lot of negative feelings which caused negative thoughts which produced negative actions, but Katya could handle it. He hadn't hurt her yet, so there had to be a nice streak in him somewhere, and she thought maybe she could even help him become happier over time and change his ways.

She had made up her mind.

"Will it hurt?" she asked, a warming sensation filling her when Godric grinned at her response to his offer. He was even more attractive when he had smiles and grins plastered across his face. Katya found herself shaking off the thought, trying to focus on what was about to happen, what would change her life forever.

Godric took a few seconds to answer her question, then nodded in response. "It will. But I'll try to make it as painless as possible. I've had an extreme amount of practice when it comes to this, so I'm sure it'll be over before you know it."

Katya hesitated, but eventually nodded, showing she was final with her choice and ready whenever he was. He was very satisfied with her decision, more satisfied than he expected he'd be. Add this to the list of things he wanted that he got. Godric was getting the win-win side of the deal because he would finally be able to do what he'd wanted since the night they'd entered each others lives: claim her wonderful smelling blood as his own, consuming it completely into his body. He found himself glad he didn't feed that night, knowing nothing would spoil his appetite for the fantastic dinner than was displayed before him. The second side of the win-win was that he got to keep her and didn't end up having to destroy her life entirely at such a young age. He couldn't spare her and let her continue to live on as a human, just for the mere possibility she might let it slip that she'd met a vampire to the wrong person down the line (and that would result in nothing good for him), so having her willingly want to join him was great. Something else crept into his mind and that was his other progeny, who was still waiting for his maker's return back at their home. He wasn't sure how Eric would react but that was the least of his worries right now.

"It is such a waste, though," he said. "Knowing I'll never be able to delight in the aroma of you again, or taste what I'm sure is more fulfilling than the smell."

But it was worth it and directly after his comment, he tangled his hand in Katya's long, curly black locks. He tugged her head to the side, plunging his fangs deep into her neck, engulfing the blood that was indeed better than he'd ever imagined.

* * *

><p><strong>Strigoi:<strong> old Russian term for 'vampire'. Since Katya was born and raised in Russia, I figured using the time-appropriate word was in order.

So I got this chapter out a lot sooner than I thought I would. I just had ideas flowing non-stop through my mind and couldn't stop writing. I'm busy for the next few days so I'm not sure when more will be added, but we'll see.

The 1905 Katya and Godric will be back next chapter. I just had to get explaining how they met and the depth of their friendship and choices out of the way before I continued with the present time. Okay. Thanks for reading and feel free to review, xoxo.


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